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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2001

The Department of Interior was overreacting when it shut down its entire computer systems in response to a court order requiring protection of individual Indian trust data, says Gregg Bourland, chairman of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota.

"If Chase Manhattan has a security breach, do they shut everything down and lock the doors?" Bourland says in The Lincoln Journal Star today. "No. They find the security breach. They wouldn't tell people, 'You can wait to withdraw your money.' That's the difference between federal trust and private trust."

Bourland has been a chief critic of the Interior for its trust management woes and a leader in seeking changes with the input of tribes. Along with other tribal leaders, he opposes the reorganization of the Bureau of Indian Affairs into two agencies, one of which will handle trust functions.

Get the Story:
Judges eases off order to Interior (The Lincoln Journal Star 12/18)
Judge lets Interior reconnect its websites (The Denver Post 12/18)
Interior Department to go back on-line under strict court supervision (AP 12/17)

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust, Department of Interior - http://indiantrust.doi.gov
Office of the Special Trustee - http://www.ost.doi.gov
Trust Management Improvement Project - http://www.doi.gov/bia/trust/tmip.htm
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com

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